Golden Horseshoe Golf Club: Gold Course
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club: Gold Course
401 S England St
Williamsburg, VA 23185-4208
United States
Telephone
Overview
Back in 1966, Golden Horseshoe was ranked among America's 200 Toughest Courses by Golf Digest. How times change. In 2012, we ranked The Gold Course as one of America's 50 Most Fun Public Courses. "Trent Jones in his kinder, gentler persona," we wrote. "Even the island green seventh hole is a generous target." The evolved Williamsburg track hosted the 1999 USGA Men's State Team Championship.
About
Awards
100 Greatest: The course was part of Golf Digest's inaugural America's 200 Toughest Courses list in 1966.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since the inaugural edition in 2003.
Highest ranking: No. 32, 2009-'10.
Previous ranking: No. 43.
2023-'24 ranking: No. 60.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 10, 2011-'16, 2019-'24. Ranked 12th, 2017-'18.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Course is in the middle of historic colonial Williamsburg, Va. Course blends well with the natural landscape and made good use of the few small ponds/lakes to create interesting and aesthetically pleasing approaches into green complexes."
Read More2024
Review
“Great par 3's. Several hole back and forth across gulley so some look alike, Condition good for National Park course. Fun to play."
Read More2024
Review
“A small piece of property by today's standards but with good design, especially the 4 par 3's located in contiguous land with water and sand. To come away with 12 and the same ball would be a feat."
Read More2023
Review
“A round at the Golden Horseshoe Gold course is like playing golf in an arboretum. Many of the trees in this beautiful coastal Virginia mixed pine and hardwood forest have been around longer than you. If you hit it straight, it’s hard not to love this course. If you’re a big bomber who gets wild 3-4 times a round, well...try to find a club that you hit straight before you play here. The course is renowned for its four excellent par 3 holes. I agree—each stands on its own merits—but there is a “sameness” to them. They are all downhill over a water hazard with lengths that vary by only about 20-25 yards. The 16th is the best and is truly a great par 3 hole by any measure. The finish is outstanding. While I rarely like uphill golf holes, 17 is the exception, as the hole wanders beautifully up through a natural amphitheater to a green that Jones cited artfully among the trees. 18 provides a strong finish that requires a long accurate drive to maneuver around the huge dogleg, and the approach is guarded by a pond left."
Read More2023
Review
“A classic RTJ gem with his iconic long square tee boxes set in the shadows of Colonial Williamsburg. Four wonderful, beautiful, challenging par3’s."
Read More2022
Review
“Great contours around the greens of a couple of long par fours (#10 & #18) to encourage shaping with low running shots. Two of the three Par-5 below 500 yards takes away a bit from variety and challenge."
Read More2022
Review
“Minimal "options" tree-lined fairways and hole design dictate most shots. A well-conditioned strategic style golf course. There are some memorable holes, but overall lacks anything truly captivating. This golf course is one pass/fail test after another. This is balanced with a great environment with beautiful landscaping and perfect conditions for a public venue. As a result, an excellent public option with the potential to be great if there was some more creativity introduced to the design--mainly through some tree clearing and opening up several viewsheds."
Read More2022
Review
“Pretty property, good layout of holes, nice elevation changes, really good greens."
Read More2022
Review
“Great combination of risk/reward front nine followed by increasingly challenging inward nine holes. The water hazard placement on all four par 3s is outstanding with extreme elevated tee boxes playing into dramatically undulating greens. Hole #12 green has been modified to add an extended back plateau, creating a world class Sunday pin option, challenging even the lowest handicappers, while the enhanced bunker placement and depth creates a very difficult "over-the-top up and down" for the novice player who chooses to bail out short and left away from the water. The only downgrade from previous years is that the 70 degree approach angle shifted left side tee box at #16 has been discontinued (due to lack of sunlight) leaving only holes 11 & 13 providing any substantial shot option disparity on the back nine. The par 5s at #2 and #6 present tremendous opportunity for glory with a properly executed drive (both power fades) but the penalty for error on the long approach shot can be catastrophic while #15 demands 3 straight, and well struck, shots to have even a chance for birdie."
Read More2020
Review
“Fun golf course to play that is a challenge for a resort course. Great conditions, fast greens, great staff. Elevation changes and strong green complexes make it interesting and enjoyable."
Read More2019
